CHAPTER FORTY-THREE - WORK IT OUT

The heavy sounds of Shigaraki's feet thudding against the treadmill filled Kai's ears, distracting him from his own routine. Usually, he would've been working out himself, headphones in while he ran a few warmup miles, but he was too preoccupied with his friend and how strained he looked to finish his own run. Shigaraki wasn't necessarily struggling, but he was pushing himself a lot harder than he usually did.

Kai subtly looked down at the digital display on the treadmills head and could see that Shigaraki had already racked up six miles at a forty percent incline. Normally, they would both run two or three miles max before moving on to weight training and if that was still the plan then he most definitely was going to struggle with their period of combat training later in the day.

"Hey." Kai started, drawing Shigaraki's attention.

A pair of red eyes flicked over to him and Kai swore they were glowing - the color more vivid than natural.

"Yeah?" Shigaraki asked between panting breaths. He quickly grabbed the sides of the treadmill and then put his feet to either side of the rotating belt to stop his progress.

Kai hit the finish button so he wouldn't go right back to it and handed him his water bottle.

"I think you've warmed up."

A frown crossed Shigaraki's face, like he was confused at why Kai was stopping him when he was clearly in a groove.

"You good?" Kai asked as Shigaraki took a long swig of water.

He understood why his friend was laser focused that morning. His dinner date with Dabi and the rest of the Todoroki family had not exactly gone to plan and essentially made a real mockery of his relationship with Dabi. Instead of becoming Dabi's official boyfriend, Shigaraki had been demoted to just a friend in front of his entire family. Kai hadn't been privy to all the fine details, but he got the gist of it.

"Yeah." Shigaraki replied, still huffing, and puffing as he walked past Kai towards the weight section of the gym.

Kai silently followed him. The faint scent of salt played at the edge of his nose beneath his mask a second before it was filled with something much more pleasing - summery and warm, like cedarwood and patchouli. It must have been a cologne or something because there was no way Shigaraki naturally smelled that good working out. Actually, there was no way the gym itself didn't stink to high hell with half of their class currently in their period of physical training, yet all Kai could focus on was his friend and how good he smelled.

"So, what did Dabi say this morning during breakfast?" Kai asked, attempting to continue their conversation from earlier. He was more than curious.

"Nothing really." Shigaraki shrugged his shoulders, "He apologized. Kind of."

"You don't think he meant it?"

"No, it's not that," Shigaraki waved that off, "He meant it but I just… it doesn't seem like he is going to do anything about it."

"What do you mean?"

"Will you spot me?" Shigaraki asked as they approached the bench press. He began checking the weight of the plates for the bar.

"Yep." Kai immediately replied, without an ounce of hesitation. This was their usual routine.

"I don't really know what I mean." Shigaraki said, replying to his question. He made sure the plates were secure before he laid out on the bench, poised to start his presses, feet planted on the floor and his head almost between Kai's legs. "I don't think he knows what he is going to do."

Kai took a step back and his face grew warm. "Just let me know if you need any, uh, help." He stuttered. "With the bar."

Kai wasn't sure how much weight was on each side but there were four plates in total. He was confident Shigaraki could lift them, it wouldn't be wise to start out at the max, however, knowing his friends current state of mind he couldn't be sure.

"Thanks." Shigaraki lifted his arms to wrap his hands around the bar and then began his reps, inhaling hard as he lifted the bar, pushing upwards, and then exhaling as he controlled the descent, repeating the motion until he was groaning hard with the exertion.

Kai couldn't help but notice how his gym uniform hitched up with the movements exposing a slight expanse of smooth flat skin and that irresistible trail of fine hair that disappeared into the hem of his shorts.

He cleared his throat, bringing himself back to reality. "Is he going to go to the prom with Rumi? I mean he could easily give you an answer to that, right?"

"Apparently not. He seems to think he is obligated to go with her now that the family knows. But-" Shigaraki said between hard breaths, his arms still moving up and down, not missing a beat. "I don't think she even knows about any of this, so yeah."

"Endeavor thinks they are dating though?"

"Yeah. Well, kind of." Shigaraki groaned through his reps.

Kai shook his head. He still couldn't believe what Shigaraki had told him. About how Takami had basically led Endeavor to believe that not only was Dabi going to the prom with Rumi but he was also dating her. It was truly diabolical. However, and admittedly, pretty clever.

First, the rumors had spread around the school like a fucking wildfire, just like he said they would, and now there was a seed planted firmly in the minds of both Shigaraki and Dabi, one that threated to bloom into something more substantial. Takami was the greenskeeper and Dabi was paying him unwittingly, falling right into his perfectly manicured ground trap.

Even if it was a spur of the moment thing. Kai did not think the birdbrain had it in him, but he really was coming through with his promise to sabotage Dabi and Shigaraki's relationship.

Kai was absolutely upset for his friend though. Shigaraki was clearly hurting, but Kai couldn't help but feel a sense of hopefulness; that what Takami had offered him those couple of months back was happening. Maybe. That was still to be seen. And he knew it was selfish of him to have that longing, but it didn't stop him from imagining what would actually happen if Takami was successful in breaking Dabi and Shigaraki up. Or how this whole situation just made Kai crush even harder on his friend. Watching Shigaraki getting all worked up and hot and sweaty did not help this at all. Fuel to the fucking fire.

"Kai." Shigaraki's voice wasn't particularly strained but it was laced with effort as he said his name.

"Hm?" He replied absently before realizing what he was supposed to be doing. And he was honestly doing a terrible job at spotting Shigaraki. When he looked down, he noticed that the bar was hovering just above his neck.

"Fuck, sorry." Kai stammered, and then quickly wrapped his own hands around the weighted bar and pulled it up. It was heavier than the plates Shigaraki usually lifted but together they managed to get it up to the safety bar and set it back in place.

Shigaraki glanced up at him briefly but didn't move. He just closed his eyes, letting his arms fall to his sides so his fingers were brushing the ground and he took deep, calming breaths to control his heavy respiration.

"What are you going to do?" Kai questioned, trying not to sound too eager. "Like, what if Dabi actually decides to go to the prom with Rumi?"

Shigaraki sat up and stretched his arms up and then out, his fingers grasping the edge of the bench. Kai couldn't help but notice how his shoulders flexed, the muscles moving beneath the skin. His eyes traveled the length of Shigaraki's back, watching more of his muscles flex and stretch. Suddenly, the room felt very hot, and before Kai could tear his eyes away, Shigaraki moved his head back to look over his shoulder, catching him staring.

"Good question." Shigaraki frowned and scratched at his neck just above the collar of his gym shirt.

The words were a whisper, just barely loud enough for Kai to hear. There was a pause while Kai wondered what to say or what to do before he began moving plates off the bar and placed them back on the racks so he could switch them out for weight that he was more comfortable with, which was significantly less than what Shigaraki had been lifting.

"Should I really care though?" He scratched some more, "It's not like I wanted to go to prom anyway. Why should I be upset if Dabi wants to go and actually take someone?"

Kai cleared his throat before talking, worried his mouth would be dry and his voice raspy, giving away whatever he was feeling. He didn't want to be too obvious but continuing to make Dabi look like the bad guy was important.

"I don't think that's the point." He started to explain, "Dabi shouldn't be keeping your relationship a secret and he definitely shouldn't be using Rumi as a fucking beard."

"A what?" Shigaraki asked, one of his brow's arching in question. He then got up off the bench and wiped it down so Kai could use it next.

"You know, when a gay dude gets a fake girlfriend as a cover-up?"

"Right."

Kai shrugged his shoulders and took the place Shigaraki was recently occupying, laying down on the bench.

"I guess I don't know how to feel about it all." Shigaraki admitted as he stood at the head of the equipment, ready to spot his friend. "I know it bothers me and I don't want Dabi to play pretend with Rumi. Like, what if that actually turns into something more serious?"

Kai looked up at Shigaraki as he lifted and then dropped the bar. "You really think that could happen? Dabi likes boys, right?"

"Obviously."

"You think he's bi?"

"I don't know. I think he's like me. I find attractive qualities in people; gender doesn't really matter."

"Noted."

"But that's not my point. Rumi is… really pretty and she is very popular. You've heard the rumors; everyone thinks they are a better match. What if Dabi recognizes it too?"

"She's not that pretty."

"Well, whatever, it's one of my concerns, how could it not be? I am way out of their… league."

"Yeah, right." Kai mumbled sarcastically under his breath; he continued his reps until he signaled for Shigaraki to help him put the bar back in place on the frame.

"Shouldn't I trust Dabi though? He's never given me a reason to doubt him."

"I don't know. The whole situation seems pretty fucked up to me." Kai said, panting, "And I think you are well within your rights to be upset about it. Going to prom with Rumi is not the biggest issue clearly, I think we both can see that."

Shigaraki sighed and leaned against the vertical bars of the bench, dropping his forehead down against the cool metal.

"Shigaraki," Kai started and sat up, shaking his arms out, "If he can't tell his family that he is dating you then I question how important your relationship is to him. He says he loves you so if that's true then he needs to grow some fucking balls, man up and tell them."

"That's not fair," Shigaraki shook his head, "He's terrified of how Endeavor will react when he finds out he's dating another boy. I can't force him to come out like that."

"Who knew the mighty number two hero would be a homophobe."

Shigaraki snorted. "I'm not really that surprised considering what I've heard."

Kai's voice came again, friendly and containing no hint of judgment as he straightened up to his full height, facing his friend. "I don't know what else to say, Shigaraki."

"But?" Shigaraki asked, hoping for something helpful and tangible.

Kai tugged his mask down to his chin and smiled softly. "You deserve better than what Dabi is giving you right now."

He reached out to push Shigaraki's hair away from his face, tucking a stray lock behind his ear. He was again taken aback at how good Shigaraki looked, all flushed and sweaty with his hair pulled back in a messy bun.

"Do I though?" Shigaraki questioned.

"Yeah. I would never do that. To anyone. And I really hope Dabi feels completely shitty right now." Kai put his hand on his friend's shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze before he pulled away.

Shigaraki seemed to dwell on that thought for a moment. As perturbed as he was, he could recognize that there was some truth to what Kai was telling him. Or maybe Kai was just doing a really good job at putting those thoughts in his head. He didn't want to hurt Shigaraki or help Takami and his devious plans, but he also didn't want Shigaraki to think that what Dabi was doing to him was right in any way.

"He does feel shitty."

"Not enough to do anything about it though." Kai suggested, shrugging his shoulders. He didn't feel like he needed to say anything else on the subject, so he gave his friend a quick pat on the arm and then moved on to their next equipment pit stop.

"Something heavier today?" He asked.

"Yeah." Shigaraki nodded, blowing out a hard breath as he did so.